Hermann rippke



(Model.)

H. RIPPKE. FIELD MOUSE TRAP.

No. 426,857. PatentedApr. 29, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMANN RIPPKE, OE OBER-FSCHKITTEL, NEAR OLBENDORE, PRUSSIA,

GERMANY.

FIELD-MOUSE TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 426,857, dated April 29, 1890.

Application led October 14, 1889. Serial No. 326,926. (Model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN RIPPKE, a subject of the King of Prussia, and a resident of Ober-Faschkittel, near Olbendorf, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Field-Mouse Traps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention has for its object the provision of a device for the destruction of fieldmice; and it consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, in which similar figures andletters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a field-mouse trap constructed in accordance with this invention and in open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same in closed position; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views in plan and side elevation, respectively, of the trigger plate of the trap.

Referring to said drawings, a is a piece of wire of any desired length and proper diam,

eter, having at its end l a small hook, which Wire is bent at a right angle, as shown at 2, and again approximately at a right angle, as shown at 3, describing small curves between said bends 2 and 3, is then bent to form a spring-ring from the 1bend 3 to the right-angular bend 4, extends th ence horizontally over the portion l, is then bent upon itself, as shown at 5, extends thence beneath the horizontal limb 4 5 to the point 6, where it is coiled to form a spiral spring 7, and is then extended upward at one side of the spring, and its extremity, at which there is formed a hook, is engaged with a bend 8 in the said horizontal limb of the wire, all as best shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, whereby firmness is given to the whole wire frame. In connection with said frame is employed a trigger-plated?, the forward end of which is pointed, and in said end is provided an opening A, from the sides of which extend teeth c d e f, which are bent upward from the plate and their ends turned inward over the opening, while at the other end of the plate are cut or stamped other teeth g and h, which are bent downward from the plate and their ends turned inward, and at one side of the rear end of the plate is formed a projection, the

inner edge of which is turned downward to form a lip 'L'. The plate b is attached to the wire u, by means of a small ring h', inserted at its corner opposite the lip i and adapted to engage the bend 2 of the wire and have 6o free movement on said wire.

To set the trap in open position, the limb l 2, held by the force of the spring of the ring portion 3 4 in the position shown in Fig. 3,

is carried to the position shown in Fig. l, and

the trigger-plate b is so laid upon it that the lip z' engages the inner face of the limb 4 5 of the wire, thus holding the limbs 1,2 and 4 5 apart and preventing them from springing together until the lip t' is disengaged from the 7o latter-named limb. The point of the triggerplate bears on the upper part of the wire a, the opening A in said plate then standing over the interior of the spring 7.

In setting the trap about one-half of the spring 7 is placed in the mouse-hole so that it, so to speak, lines the same. The mouse in trying to get out of the hle must pass through the spring and enter the opening A in the trigger-plate, but in so doing Willpush against 8o the teeth surrounding said opening, thus raising the plate, whereupon the lip c' is disen gaged from the wire a, the trigger-plate then assuming the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the limbs 1 2 and 4 5 spring 85 together about the mouse and crush and kill it. the direction of the rear of the trigger-plate, it would come in contact with the teeth g h,

and if it attempts passage in the direction of 9o the front of the plate the point of thesame would be raised, resulting in either case in disengaging the lip t' and allowing the horizontal limbs of the wire to spring together.

To prevent displacement of the trap by mouse-hunting animals and birds, ahook 7c isr attached to the ring portion of the wire and pressed at its point into the ground.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letroo ters Patent, is-

In a held-mouse trap, the combination,with

If the mouse should endeavor to pass in a frame consisting of a pair of opposing Springmms and a Vertical spiral spring intervening the length of said mms, of a] plate attached at its real' end to one of said arms, having 2L pointed forward end, a toothed opening lin said end, teeth on its nndelI surface nem` its reruend, and L lip at its rem' end adapted to be demehably en gil-ged with the other spring- 5mn, Substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hemd in presence of two witnesses.

HERMANN RIPPKE.

VVitnesseS:

TRAUGOTT RIPPKE, AUGUST ADOLPH. 

